


Treated Poorly?!

by Jack_is_DA_Trash



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: M/M, Slavery mention, but they make up, dorian fucks up, sorta - Freeform, this is a very old fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-12
Updated: 2017-02-12
Packaged: 2018-09-23 22:08:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9681293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jack_is_DA_Trash/pseuds/Jack_is_DA_Trash
Summary: Venali has only let a select few people know he was a slave in The Tevinter Imperium. And Dorian isn't one of them. And the said Altus' view on the makes the elf snap.





	

Treated Poorly?

Venali and Dorian didn't always argue. It was normally over little things. Like who left the candle burning unattended in their quarters, what type of staff is better for casting, what fruit is better to make sweets with. Mostly trivial things. But sometimes, bigger topics cause their disputes. 

"Treated poorly?!" Venali hissed. 

Dorian had never heard Venali sound so animalistic. The elf looked as if he was about to start snarling like a wolf. 

"Abuse heaped upon those without power isn't limited to Tevinter, my friend. I don't know what it is like to be a slave, true. I never thought about it until I saw how different it was here. But I suspect you don't know, either, nor should you believe that every tale of Tevinter excess is the norm."

Venali was now seething. Dorian stepped back and crossed his arms, eyebrow raised in confusion. 

Shaking his head, Venali stormed off down the flight of stairs to Solas' office and to who knows where. Even more confused Dorian made his way to the courtyard, looking for a certain Seeker. 

Cassandra noticed the Mage walking towards her and sheathed her sword, the dummy she was practicing on was almost in tatters. 

"Dorian?"

"I upset the inquisitor."

The Seeker sighed and patted the bench she sat down on. The Altus joined her and placed his elbows on his knees. 

"So, what made you upset the inquisitor? It must have been something big if it made him that upset." Cassandra said. 

"Oh. He came out here?"

She nodded. Then he turned around after reaching the door of the tavern. I think he went up to his quarters."

Dorian nodded as well. "We were talking about Tevinter. It must have been what I said about slavery. He seemed to really get angry when I aid that some slaves there are treated poorly, and that he shouldn't listen to Southern rumors, because he hasn't known what slavery in Tevinter is like."

Silence followed which was a bit strange. Cassandra always had something to say. Dorian looked at her and saw her eyebrows raised and mouth agape. 

"You said that? To Venali of all people?"

Dorian rose an eyebrow. "'Him of all people'?"

"You... Don't know? He was a slave before he was with Clan Lavellan. He... His former master abused his slaves frequently."

The Mage's stomach dropped. Looking to the tower that served as the inquisitor's quarters, Dorian but his lower lip. "Why didn't he tell me?"

Cassandra sighed an stood up. "I don't know. But if I were you, I would make an apology. A damn good one too if you value your life."

Dorian hung his head and nodded. How was he going to do this?

•••

Venali stormed up the stairs to his room, angry tears threatening to spill onto his cheeks. He knows he shouldn't be angry at Dorian. How was he supposed to know his background when he never talks about it to any but Varric and Cassandra? Reaching his room, he stripped himself of his clothes, deciding he needed a bath. 

The marble tub was already filled with water but Venali was too impatient to wait for the tune to heat up the water so he used a heat spell to heat it in seconds. Stepping in, Venali hissed when the hot water touched his skin. It was hotter than he liked but he didn't care at the moment. Grabbing a flask of soap, he poured the liquid into his hand and began scrubbing his hair clean. Once rinsed, he took a bar of soap and a clean rag to wash the rest of his body. 

All clean, Venali sat there, adrenalin now running low. His body sagged, tired and still stinging from the thorough scrubbing he gave himself. The bath was slowly losing it's scalding heat but Venali was too exhausted to keep it at a decent temperature. 

Eventually, he got out of the tub and left the water for the servants to take care of later tonight. Still naked, he walked over to his full length mirror, staring at the ugly scars that were in his wrists, ankles, and the few that peeked out on his shoulders that expanded to his back. Venali always made sure it was dark when Dorian saw him naked, and kept his arms from being shown, to keep anyone from asking questions and taking pity on him. 

The elf found a pair of loose fitting pants that belonged to Dorian and tugged them on, not bothering with putting on his small clothes. While doing that, he didn't hear the door opening and footsteps on the stairs heading towards him. Standing strait up again, Venali saw his lover behind him in the mirror. Turning around swiftly, he searched frantically for a long sleeved shirt but the closest one was in the drawer behind Dorian. 

The human looked shocked, and Venali knew it was because he saw the scars from the frequent whippings he got as a slave. So, to hind as much as he could, he crossed his arms to hide the marks on his wrists. 

Dorian had never seen Venali look so vulnerable. Yes, he has seen him naked but never with enough light to actually see his body. Now he understood why the other Mage always made sure the curtains were shut and all the candles were snuffed out. 

Dorian opened his mouth to speak but shut it, forgetting the apology he had made. 

Tired of the silence, Venali huffed and rushed past Dorian to fetch the shirt he had eyed. "I guess you know now. Cassandra must have told you if you have come up here. The scars must have helped proved that I was a slave."

"Venali..."

"No. It's fine. You grew up unknowing and treated your slaves well. I wouldn't expect you to understand-"

"Venali! Amatus, I am sorry. If I had known..."

Venali slipped on the shirt and turned back around. "If you had known, you would have pitied me and treated me like I was made of glass."

Dorian was about to refute that but decided not to. He doesn't know if that were true or not. "Possibly. But now I know. And I won't do that."

"How do you know? How can you possibly know you won't?"

The Altus approached the elf, looking down at him with a soft look in his eyes. "You are a prideful man, Amatus. You want to be respected. And I do respect you. But you need to talk to me so we can avoid hurt feelings."

Venali reached for Dorian's hand, just lightly holding his fingers in his own. They entwined their fingers and leaned against one another, foreheads touching. 

"Ar'lath ma, vhenan."

"I love you too, Amatus."

The two mages didn't always have to say they apologies. Sometimes they can express them through light touches and tones in their voices. 

Venali sighed and tugged Dorian closer, wrapping his arms around the man. "I should have told you."

Nodding, Dorian led each other to the bed, stripping himself of his complicated shirt and toeing off his boots, now just in an undershirt, trousers, and socks.


End file.
